American journal of preventive medicine
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State policies and programs affect population health; yet, little is known about the connections between health and the political institutions and actors that prescribe and execute those policies and programs. ⋯ Findings support the proposition that the social determinants of health are constructed, at least in part, by the power vested in governments.
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Observational Study
Association Between Acute Exposure to Crime and Individual Systolic Blood Pressure.
Hypertension is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and is geographically concentrated in urban underserved neighborhoods. This study examines the temporal-spatial association between individual exposure to violent crime and blood pressure. ⋯ Exposure to a violent crime event was associated with increased blood pressure, with gradient effects by both distance and time from exposure.
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Opioid-related overdose risks are elevated after incarceration. The rates of opioid-related overdose mortality have risen in recent years, including among Veterans Health Administration patients. To inform Veteran overdose prevention, this study evaluates whether opioid-related overdose risks differ for Veterans Health Administration patients with versus those without indicators of legal system involvement. ⋯ Among Veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration care in 2012, documented legal system involvement was associated with an increased risk of opioid-related overdose mortality. Targeting overdose education and naloxone distribution programs and integrating opioid overdose prevention efforts into mental health care may reduce opioid overdose deaths among Veterans with legal involvement.